Ghana has temporarily closed its embassy in Washington, D.C., following the discovery of a fraudulent visa scheme run by a locally recruited IT staff member.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced the closure on Monday, May 26, 2025, describing the move as part of efforts “to finalise the ongoing restructuring and systems overhaul” after a special audit uncovered widespread corruption at the mission.
At the heart of the scandal is Fred Kwarteng, who is said to have admitted to creating an unauthorized link on the embassy’s website. This link redirected visa and passport applicants to his private firm, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC), where they were charged unapproved fees ranging from US$29.75 to US$60.
These payments were not sanctioned by the Ministry or Parliament under the Fees and Charges Act and went directly into Kwarteng’s personal account. Investigations suggest the scheme had operated undetected for at least five years.
Speaking on the closure, Minister Ablakwa said: “This is part of the drastic and decisive actions I have taken with the firm support of President Mahama, following the damning findings of a special audit team I put together a couple of months ago to investigate alleged corrupt practices at Ghana’s embassy in Washington D.C.”
All Foreign Ministry staff posted to the Washington mission have been recalled to Accra. The embassy’s IT department has been dissolved, and all locally recruited staff have been suspended pending further investigations. The Auditor-General has also been tasked with conducting a full forensic audit to determine the total financial loss to the state.
The case has been referred to the Attorney-General for possible prosecution and recovery of misappropriated funds.
Meanwhile, Ghanaians and foreign nationals requiring consular services at the Washington, D.C. embassy are advised to await further updates from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
